Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Starting Jan 15th.

Link to archived thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Looking forward to it!

Thanks for adding the discussion thread. Can’t wait for this one. 😁

As good as the first.

Scott wrote: "As good as the first."

All I need to know!

I am hoping to sneak this one in

This read is just two days away! I thought I'd mention that there is another folder for The Mirror's Truth for August and this is the folder for the read happening on Jan 15.

It's on Kindle Unlimited and I have a free trial - might as well use that up now! Looking forward to getting back into this crazy world.

Seán wrote: "It's on Kindle Unlimited and I have a free trial - might as well use that up now! Looking forward to getting back into this crazy world."

Nice! I'm excited to start this one :)

Haven't actually gotten started as I've had a slow week, but will get to it this weekend! Have the wife reading Beyond Redemption so we've got a good theme going!

Ok, a little late but I've officially started! First chapter in, and I am definitely going to need to read a quick summary of the first book - I forgot how much craziness happened in it!

Seán wrote: "Ok, a little late but I've officially started! First chapter in, and I am definitely going to need to read a quick summary of the first book - I forgot how much craziness happened in it!"

I was just about to reply to your previous message just now. I'm starting tonight but I was just going through my notes now as a refresher. I can't wait to start reading. It just seems like there's always something going on or another book to read. I'm trying to make this a priority though.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts. 😁

Yeah I know that feeling alright! I''m about 20% in after a good day's reading, and I'm loving it. I love how absolutely crazy everyone is, and Fletcher has a great sense of how darkly funny his world can be.

There are actually enough minor recaps of plot-points in the first five or so chapters - I couldn't find a decent summary online, but picked up enough information to remind me of just about everything as I read.

I loved that the author didn't do a massive summary of the prior book at the start of this one. That drives me nuts. The thing that really impressed me was Fletcher made me feel empathy in this book which is amazing given the morality lacking misfits we're talking about.

Seán wrote: "Yeah I know that feeling alright! I''m about 20% in after a good day's reading, and I'm loving it. I love how absolutely crazy everyone is, and Fletcher has a great sense of how darkly funny his wo..."

I did not get to start last night but I'm starting right after I finish this message. I feel like it's going to be another slow year of reading for me.😔 So I will try my best to get as much reading done before February hits us. Luckly I made notes as a I read through the last book but I think I ran out of renews and didn't get to take notes near the end. That's fine though, who could forget that ending. Plus I also found pages I took pictures of because of those amazing quotes he chose and certain paragraphs were just so well written, visually. Glad you two are enjoy the read so far. I'll be back tomorrow, fingers crossed I get to read today. 🤞🏾

I'm glad everyone's late on this one. I'm ~35% in and I'm really impressed so far. I actually find it hard to make comments on this series because I just really don't know how I feel about it. I really love the writing and his creativity and I also love how I don't know how to feel (in that way it reminds me of Malazan). It just makes it really hard to put into words.

Jenna wrote: "I'm glad everyone's late on this one. I'm ~35% in and I'm really impressed so far. I actually find it hard to make comments on this series because I just really don't know how I feel about it. I re..."

I'm about the same percentage in. And yeah, I'm really impressed with just how consistently good this is. It doesn't feel like a typical 'second-book' in terms of structure, Fletcher's just sort of going with the flow and it's glorious. I think the writing's even sharper this time around - Wichtig's chapters in particular just have me laughing out loud. They're a bunch of psychotic adult-children, and the logic and reasoning they all possess is hilarious.

@Danisha - ah you'll pick up steam, don't worry! I actually did fine without a recap - you're thrown into things at the very staff, but enough details are recapped during conversations that everything should have come back to you by the time you're 50 pages in or so.

Overall, I'm absolutely loving this. Reading some of Fletcher's blogs, it's a bit depressing that between a bit of a burnout and his sales not doing amazingly, we're unlikely to see much more of this in the future. At least there's Swarm and Steel to look forward to, and based on what's popped up so far in this book, I am definitely interested in hearing more about Swarm...

Seán wrote: "Jenna wrote: "I'm glad everyone's late on this one. I'm ~35% in and I'm really impressed so far. I actually find it hard to make comments on this series because I just really don't know how I feel ..."

I haven't looked at his blogs, but that's really too bad to hear because his work is really fantastic.

Jenna wrote: "I haven't looked at his blogs, but that's really too bad to hear because his work is really fantastic. "

It's not that there'll never be anything more in the series, just one of more recent updates (April last year, so still a while ago), was talking about how he was just a bit burnt out after a hectic year getting Mirror's Truth and Swarm and Steel ready. It looks like since then he's been working on some other books - I'd still be hopeful of hearing something positive this year!

Oh, Wichtig......

Yeah, Schnitter was pretty damn disturbing. I really feel that Wichtig's chapters are the best written, just in terms of capturing how truly insane these guys are.

Seán wrote: "Yeah, Schnitter was pretty damn disturbing. I really feel that Wichtig's chapters are the best written, just in terms of capturing how truly insane these guys are."

I just finished and I would definitely agree. Wichtig's chapters were my favourite ones this time.

Cool, my kindle says I'm 62% done, but there's a big blank section after the last chapter, so I have a feeling I'm closer to the end than that. There's only about ten chapters left, so unless the last one is 20% of the book, I should be done today or tomorrow!

Seán wrote: "Cool, my kindle says I'm 62% done, but there's a big blank section after the last chapter, so I have a feeling I'm closer to the end than that. There's only about ten chapters left, so unless the l..."

There's a pretty big section at the end for acknowledgements, terms and such.

I also read it on kindle and the ending was at around 88% if I remember correctly.

That sounds about right. So I should get through most of the rest today!

Any interest in Swarm and Steel at some point?

Seán wrote: "That sounds about right. So I should get through most of the rest today!

Any interest in Swarm and Steel at some point?"

Yes for sure. I already have a copy so whenever you want to get to it. Danisha, are you in too?

I'll probably give myself a bit of time to space it out, don't like that it's the last Manifest Delusions book that's out :( Maybe around May/June, if that's not too long to wait? I'm cool with anytime after that, that's just probably the soonest I'll go for it.

Seán wrote: "I'll probably give myself a bit of time to space it out, don't like that it's the last Manifest Delusions book that's out :( Maybe around May/June, if that's not too long to wait? I'm cool with any..."

May would be good for me. How about May 10 just in case you have any buddy reads planned for the beginning and middle of the month? I'm pretty flexible though so whatever fits your schedule.

May 10 sounds good to me!

Seán wrote: "May 10 sounds good to me!"

Here we go! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

ill join in the May 2018 read of swarm and steel 😬

Vaelin wrote: "ill join in the May 2018 read of swarm and steel 😬"

Awesome!

Finished this up last week, but only had time to sit down and write a review now. I loved it, felt that it improved on everything I loved in the first book and really surprised me with the emotional punches that were pulled. I loved the slight shift to focus more on Wichtig - I definitely felt that this was the case, as even early on his chapters just seem to be constructed with a bit more care.

But yeah, amazing book, an amazing duology. I want to read more in the world, so Swarm and Steel looks perfect, but I think I'm glad with these two books standing as a duology.

Seán wrote: "Finished this up last week, but only had time to sit down and write a review now. I loved it, felt that it improved on everything I loved in the first book and really surprised me with the emotiona..."

I agree. I think in the first book, Konig and his dopples were by far the most intriguing characters, but this book really allowed Wichtig to take center stage. I found it interesting because in book one he was a completely one-dimensional character. In this book, it felt like he was trying to hold on to that identity because it was comfortable for him, but he definitely changed. Cool to see character development from this kind of character.

I took months to write my review for Beyond Redemption and I couldn't even think of what to say then. I'll try to write something for this book, but it's going to take me a while. :)